beta amyloid

Prion study points to Alzheimer's therapies

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 20:01:39 -0400

A discovery that the presence of prions interrupts the buildup of beta amyloid may point to new therapies to treat Alzheimer's. The research work was triggered by similarities between human mad cow disease and Alzheimer's. In mad cow disease, corrupted prion proteins cause brain damage. When the level of normal prions is high, the researchers noted, the presence of beta amyloids was low. When the level of prions was low, though, beta amyloids were more prevalent. To test the work, researchers used a mouse model designed to eliminate normal prions. Those mice developed new formations of beta amyloid.

Next researchers will examine whether the aging process interferes with prion proteins' ability to protect people from the build up of beta amyloids. A new therapy that mimics the effects of prions could theoretically be used to stop the development of the disease.

- see the release
- read the BBC's report

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A new compound to treat Alzheimer's

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 20:01:39 -0400

A researcher at Purdue University laboratory is working on a compound that he says could become the first treatment available for Alzheimer's. Arun Ghosh says the molecule targets an enzyme called memapsin 2, or beta-secretase, which plays a key role in the formation of beta amyloid plaque that is widely believed to be responsible for the disease. Ghosh used X-ray crystallography to map the structure of an inhibitor he designed that was bound to the enzyme. Ghosh formed a company with Jordan Tang, head of the Protein Studies Research Program at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, which has merged with CoMentis in San Francisco.

"The moment we had the crystal structure, we knew exactly how the inhibitor worked, the interactions of the molecular bonds and what properties were most important," Ghosh said. "This allowed us to quickly build inhibitor molecules and bypass the usual lengthy process of trial and error in molecule design. Within a year we had developed modified inhibitors that were much smaller and more drug-like in character."

"This is the most exciting target today for Alzheimer's disease intervention," said Tang, who holds the J.G. Puterbaugh Chair in Medical Research at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. "These interactions happen at a very early stage in the disease, and if we could block them, we could prevent many of the harmful steps that follow and drastically reduce the impact. In our most recent tests, a single dose of the designed compound reduced the beta-amyloid level by 30 percent."

- check out the release
- here's the report on their work from the Indianapolis Star

ALSO: A type of omega-3 fatty acid may slow the growth of two brain lesions that are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease, UC Irvine scientists have discovered. The finding suggests that diets rich in docosahexaenoic acid can help prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease later in life. Release

PLUS: Scientists know little about how the brain chooses cells to encode and store memories. Now a UCLA-University of Toronto team has discovered that a protein called CREB controls the odds of a neuron participating in memory formation. Release

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Scientists report Alzheimer's vaccine success

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 20:01:39 -0400

Scientists at Japan's National Institute for Longevity Sciences are planning to push an oral Alzheimer's vaccine into clinical trials after reporting that the therapy worked in mice. The institute's director, Takeshi Tabira, says that it may be that the therapy only works at the early stage of development in humans. But when tested in mice, the researchers found that the vaccine reduced beta amyloid in the animals genetically modified to develop Alzheimer's and improved their brain function. Mental function returned to near normal levels three months after being treated with a vaccine that spurred their immune system to attack amyloid proteins. No side effects such as bleeding or inflammation was observed. One in five people over the age of 80 suffer from dementia, and most of them have Alzheimer's.

- read this report on the research from The Guardian

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Anesthetics can spur brain plaque

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 20:01:39 -0400

A class of widely used anesthetics spurs production of beta amyloid in the brains of mice, according to a study completed at the University of Pennsylvania. Researchers studied halothane, one in a class of volatile anesthetics used on 60 million people a year. A common side effect of these anesthetics is 'post-operative cognitive decline' that can last from days to years. If the drugs also promote beta amyloid in the brains of humans, it could provide a direct link to Alzheimer's. While there is no conclusive proof that beta amyloid causes Alzheimer's, the presence of brain plaque is a common feature of the disease. Researchers in the field have been pushing an array of drug development programs that target beta amyloid.

- here's the report on the study from Nature

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Alzheimer's patch used to deliver vaccine to mice

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 19:01:39 -0500

In a new study, researchers used a patch to deliver an Alzheimer's vaccine to mice that spurred their immune systems to recognize beta amyloid protein and destroy it. That protein is linked to the formation of beta amyloid plaque in the brain that characterizes the memory-wasting disease. The researchers say that the decision to deliver the vaccine transdermally could help avoid incidences of inflammation and death in a study involving an injected vaccine. If a follow-up study finds that the patch can help preserve memory, the scientists will call for a human clinical trial.

"While many groups have shown vaccinating against the beta amyloid protein can reduce Alzheimer's-like pathology including certain cognitive deficits, this study is the first to demonstrate that immunization using the skin may be effective," says study leader Jun Tan of the University of South Florida department of psychiatry.

- check out the report on the Alzheimer's study from the BBC

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Blood pressure meds may help prevent Alzheimer's

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 19:01:39 -0500

New research at Mount Sinai School of Medicine suggests that commonly used therapies for high blood pressure may help prevent the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's. Working with animals engineered to produce beta-amyloid, a plaque in the brain that builds up as Alzheimer's develops, researchers injected a series of drugs to see what kind of effect could be achieved. Seven of the drugs that demonstrated an ability to prevent the build-up of beta-amyloid were for high blood pressure. One of the drugs--Diovan--was most effective. Diovan is used to prevent high blood pressure in the elderly, suggesting that they may also be getting an additional benefit from their treatment.

- read the report on Alzheimer's from Forbes

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Scientists induce brain disorders in Alzheimer's mice

Wed, 27 Sep 2006 20:01:39 -0400

Injecting extracts of the brains of people who died from Alzheimer's can induce brain disease in mice that includes prion brain disorders such as mad cow's disease, according to a research group at the Farber Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University. The scientists say that this is the first time that researchers have been able to induce pathology by working with the brains of Alzheimer's victims. They also say that there are different strains of Alzheimer's. The researchers worked with mice that were genetically engineered to produce beta-amyloid similar to the type that is produced in humans. The injections appeared to significantly hasten the development of the plaques associated with Alzheimer's. Experts say the work points to the existence of an outside element, such as a viral agent, in inducing Alzheimer's and may help pave the way to new therapies.

- read the report on the Alzheimer's research from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel